Evolutionary Applications (2017) 10, 1031-1039

Norah P. Saarman, Andrea Gloria-Soria, Eric C. Anderson, Benjamin R. Evans, Evlyn Pless, Luciano V. Cosme, Cassandra Gonzalez-Acosta, Basile Kamgang, Dawn M. Wesson and Jeffrey R. Powell (2017)
Effective population sizes of a major vector of human diseases, Aedes aegypti
Evolutionary Applications 10 (10), 1031-1039
Abstract: The effective population size (N_e) is a fundamental parameter in population genetics that determines the relative strength of selection and random genetic drift, the effect of migration, levels of inbreeding, and linkage disequilibrium. In many cases where it has been estimated in animals, N_e is on the order of 10%–20% of the census size. In this study, we use 12 microsatellite markers and 14,888 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to empirically estimate N_e in Aedes aegypti, the major vector of yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. We used the method of temporal sampling to estimate N_e on a global dataset made up of 46 samples of Ae. aegypti that included multiple time points from 17 widely distributed geographic localities. Our N_e estimates for Ae. aegypti fell within a broad range (~25–3,000) and averaged between 400 and 600 across all localities and time points sampled. Adult census size (N_c) estimates for this species range between one and five thousand, so the N_e/N_c ratio is about the same as for most animals. These N_e values are lower than estimates available for other insects and have important implications for the design of genetic control strategies to reduce the impact of this species of mosquito on human health.
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Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution
molecular biology - genes

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aedes aegypti